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Case Studies

THINK Together

THINK Together is a $62 million statewide education powerhouse providing afterschool programming to over 40 school districts in California.

The ChallengeTHINK Together grew rapidly over the past decade establishing itself as an obvious choice with major donors, such as Keck Foundation, Annenberg Foundation,Walmart and The David and Lucille Packard Foundation. The group was savvy about tailoring their offerings to be eligible for Prop 49 funds and contracts, to access funds made available by California’s 2002 statewide initiative to support after-school programs. A track record of success and strong data to support its programmatic success soon translated to demand for rapid statewide replication.

The Solution
MW&A conducted a comprehensive development assessment and subsequently designed a development plan to meet the demand for programmatic replication which included: cultivating a cohort of community based donors, enhancing the non-profit’s visibility through strategic marketing efforts, and adding two new positions to support a successful grants program and build individual support.

MW&A helped restructure THINK Together’s board giving and engagement process and the launch of a campaign for public awareness with defined goals for community giving. These two were imperatives for THINK Together’s success and in every case where an organization experiences rapid programmatic growth and resultant demand for replication.

Mar Vista Family Center

Mar Vista Family Center provides educational services with focus on the large population of Latino residents in West Los Angeles’ Mar Vista community.

The Challenge
Foundations had long seen the value of investing in the Mar Vista Family Center, however, other income strategies had not proven as successful.

The Solution
MW&A identified development strategies to create robust, diversified revenue streams. MW&A worked with the Board of Directors, the CEO and community volunteers to identify barriers to individual donor support and created short-, mid-, and long-term activities to engage all levels of donors. Within the first year alone, individual support grew from 200 to over 600 hundred, and donations from $30,000 to over $150,000.